Inaugurated in October 2022, this stunning 60-foot mural was researched, fabricated, and installed by Dr. Juan Salamanca (Graphic Design) and a diverse team of researchers, designers, artists, and makers. It celebrates over a century of interdisciplinary collaboration at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, bringing together 50 groundbreaking innovations—spanning technologies, methodologies, processes, and knowledge frameworks—that have shaped the university’s legacy.
A defining feature of the mural is its array of computer-generated "pebbles," each symbolizing a significant innovation. A timeline at the bottom organizes these contributions into five thematic flows, illustrating how ideas have evolved over the past 150 years. Coalescing Currents isn’t just a visual experience—it comes to life through augmented reality (AR). With an AR-enhanced network of "flying ribbons" and dynamic labels, this installation invites visitors to explore the deeper connections between colleges, research institutes, and the ideas that continue to generate collaboration across disciplines.
If you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, we highly recommend stopping by—it won’t be around much longer!
Location: SCD's Gallery. Open 7am-12pm daily.
Learn more here
*Download the augmented reality portal to unpack the richness of information encoded in the 60 feet wide mural located at the gallery space of the Siebel Center for Design at the University of Illinois in Champaign here